Southwest Egg Salad Stuffed Mini Peppers

The bags of multicolored mini peppers that abound in spring and summer have always drawn my attention. The colors are so vibrant, I feel like I must buy a bag and make something with them.

Like their larger relatives, they can be used in salads, stir-fry, etc., but I think their pint size lends them to used as bite-sized appetizers.

Filled with a southwest egg salad that consists of hardboiled eggs, sweet and serrano peppers, shallot, cilantro, taco seasoning, and a bit of mayo, these southwest egg salad stuffed peppers are hard to resist. They can be served as a start to a fiesta themed meal, or eaten as a spiced up lunch.

As I sit here munching on these delightful bites, I can think of other fun ways to use the mini peppers as vessels for food . . . . sample sizes of cold soup like gazpacho for an appetizer . . . .cheese spread . . . chicken salad. What is your favorite use?

Prepare the mini peppers by cutting a hole in the top of peppers, reserving the pepper tops, and rinsing out the seeds. Dice the pepper tops, reserving 2 tablespoons for the egg salad and saving the rest for another use; set aside.

Make the dressing by stirring the mayonnaise, taco seasoning, and salt together in a small bowl; set aside. Cut the serrano pepper in half and remove the seeds and pith. Dice the serrano pepper and set aside.

Remove the shells from the eggs, and place the eggs in a large bowl and smash with a fork, then stir in the 2 tablespoons of diced pepper, diced serrano pepper, shallot, cilantro, and dressing. Stuff the egg salad into the pepper openings. Refrigerate until ready to serve.